The Pirate Slaver | Page 8

heard him make that remark to Mr Young just before shoving off. And pray, Mr Bates--if the question be not indiscreet-- what is the nature of the expedition upon which we are to engage this afternoon?"
"Well, I don't know why I shouldn't tell you," answered Bates, a little doubtfully. "Our movements are of course to be conducted with all possible secrecy, but if I tell you I don't suppose you'll go ashore and hire the town-crier to make public our intentions; and all hands will have to know--more or less--what we're after, very soon, so I suppose I shall not be infringing any of the Articles of War if I tell you now; but you needn't go and publish the news throughout the ship, d'ye see? Let the skipper do that when he thinks fit."
"Certainly," I assented. "You may rely implicitly upon my discretion."
"Oh yes, of course," retorted the master ironically. "A midshipman is a perfect marvel in the way of prudence and discretion; everybody knows that! However," he continued, in a much more genial tone, "I will do you the justice to say that you seem to have your ballast pretty well stowed, and that you stand up to your canvas as steadily as any youngster that I've ever fallen in with; so I don't suppose there'll be very much harm in trusting you. You must know, then, that there's a bit of a creek, called Chango Creek, some fourteen or fifteen miles up the river from here; and in that creek there is at this moment lying snugly at anchor, quite unconscious of our proximity, and leisurely filling up her complement of blacks, a large Spanish brig called the Mercedes hailing from Havana. She is a notorious slaver, and is strongly suspected of having played the part of pirate more than once, when circumstances were favourable. Moreover, from what our Portuguese friend Lobo says, she was in the river when the Sapphire's two boats with their crews disappeared; and according to the dates he gives, she must also have been the craft that the plucky little Wasp was in chase of when last seen. There is very little doubt, therefore, that the Mercedes is the craft--or, at all events, one of them--which it is our especial mission to capture at any cost; and we are therefore going to weigh this afternoon for the purpose of beating up her quarters. Lobo has undertaken to pilot us as far as the mouth of the creek; and as he tells us that the brig is fully a hundred tons bigger than ourselves, is armed to the teeth, and is manned by a big crowd of desperadoes, every man of whom has bound himself by a fearful oath never to lay down his arms while the breath remains in his body, I shouldn't wonder if we find out before all is done that we have undertaken a pretty tough job."
"It would seem like it, if Senor Lobo's information is to be relied upon," said I, an involuntary shudder and qualm thrilling me as my vivid imagination instantly conjured up a vision of the impending conflict. "But I suppose every precaution will be taken to catch the rascals unawares?"
"You may be sure of that," answered the master, peering curiously into my face as he spoke. "Captain Stopford is not the man to court a reverse, or a heavy loss of life, by unduly advertising his intentions. But you look pale, boy! You are surely not beginning to funk, are you?"
"No," said I, a little dubiously, "I think not. But this will be my first experience of fighting, you know--I have never been face to face with an enemy thus far--and I must confess that the idea of a hand-to-hand fight--for I suppose it will come to that--a life-and-death struggle, wherein one has not only to incur the awful responsibility of hurling one's fellow-creatures into eternity, but also to take the fearful risk of being hurled thither one's self, perhaps without a moment of time in which to breathe a prayer for mercy, is something that I, for one, can hardly contemplate with absolute equanimity."
"Certainly not," assented Bates kindly, linking his arm in mine as he spoke; "certainly not; you would be something more or less--less, I should be inclined to say--than human if you could. But, as to the responsibility of hurling those villains into eternity, do not let that trouble you for a single moment, my lad; in endeavouring to put down this inhuman slave-trade we are engaged upon a righteous and lawful task--lawful and righteous in the eyes of God as well as of man, I humbly believe--and if the traffickers in human flesh and human freedom and human happiness choose to risk and lose their lives in the pursuit of